Gearing up for summer games

At Pepper Construction, we value teamwork. Sometimes, the best way to do that is through friendly competition. As the weather heats up in Chicago this summer, our people take their talents from the office and the jobsite to the playing field. Everyone at Pepper, including summer interns, are encouraged to participate.

Our people have two opportunities to get involved in sports outside of the office. We have a team playing in the Softball Design League and a beach volleyball team through Chicago Sport & Social Club.

The softball league runs for 12 weeks with 18 scheduled regular-season games. The games are played every Thursday, and a few Saturdays, at Grant Park Lower Hutchinson Fields.

In total, there are 26 players on the Pepper team consisting of employees from just about every department. The team plays against other area architecture, engineering and construction firms.

"It is so nice to get together with co-workers once a week to de-stress and have fun playing sports together. It boosts company morale and team spirit. We are great at communicating, encouraging each other and celebrating whether we win or lose," explains Human Resource Generalist Courtney Neisius, who plays in both leagues.

If our employees are not interested in channeling their inner Anthony Rizzo, they have the option to join our beach volleyball team.

The team plays Wednesday nights at North Ave. Beach against different companies and organizations throughout Chicago.

"Personally, I think this league is great because I am on a job site full time, so I don't get many opportunities to meet other people in the company. Volleyball has given me an opportunity not only to meet but make friends with others. I've participated in other company events as a result of the relationships I've formed out of beach volleyball," Project Engineer Kat Landers told us.

As we grow and teams are dispersed across our jobsites, smaller group events provide opportunities to get to know colleagues better. Particularly in the summer months, the athletic field is a great opportunity to unwind and build comradery in the process.